Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-12-28
CHRISTMAS STORY.

CHRISTMAS %
Eugene Field, the journalist, novelist
and poet, writes of a visit from Santa
Claus to Joel Baker, a sad, lonely man
who talks to Santa Claus Of the happy
days Of childhood. Joel says: g was
bound to see Santa Claus and don't be
lieve anything would have put me to
sleep. heard the big clock In the sit
ting-roam strike II and | had begun
wonderin' if you never were going to
come, when all of a sudden | heard the
tinkle Of tine bells around your RENDERS
necks. Then | heard the RENDERS pran-
Gin on the roof! and the sound Of your
sleigh runners cuttin' through the crust
and slippin' owe the shingles. | was
kind O. scared and | covered my head up
with the sheet and ~quilts-only I left a
little hole so I could peek out and see
what was goin' on. As soon as | saw you
/ got over bein' scared-for you We're
jolly and smilin' like, and you chuckled
as you went around to each stockin' and
fillen it up"
"Yes, | can remember the night" said
Santa Claus, " [ brought you d sled, didn't
II"
Eyes, and you brought Otis one, too,''
replied Joel; "mine was red and had
Yankee Doodle painted in black letters
on the side Otis's was black and had
'Snow Queen in gilt letters"
81 remember those snow sleds dis
tinctly," said Santa Claus, "for | made
them specially for you boys"
You set the sleds up against the WALL"
continued Joel, "and then you filled the
stockins."
"There were six of 'em, as I recollect,,
said Santa Claus.
Lei me see,'' said Joel. "There was
mine, and Otis's, and Elvira's, and Thank
ful's, and Susan Prickett's-Susan was
our help, you know. No, there We're only
five, and as | can remember they were
the biggest we could beg or borrow of
Aunt Dorcas, who weighed nigh onto 200
pounds. Otis and | didn't like Susan
Prickett, and we We're Aopin' you'd put a
cold potato in her stockin'."
But Susan was a good girl" remon-
strated Santa Claus. You know | put
cold potatoes in the stockin's of boys and
girls only who are bad and don't believe
in Santa Claus"
"At any rate said Joel, "you filled all
stockin's with candy and popcorn and
nuts and ~raisins. and [ can remember YOU
said you were afraid you'd u out of
popcorn balls before you got around
Then you left each of us d book. Elvira
got the best one, which was the Garland
of Friendship and had poems in it
about bleeding hearts, and so forth.
Father wasn't expecting anything. but
you left him a new pair of mittens. and
mother got a new fur boa to wear to
meetin'."
"Of course" said Santa Claus, 81 never
forget father and mother"
'Well, it was as much as | could do to
lay s%till,' continued Joel, .for | had been
longin' for a sled, an the sight of that
red sled with Yankee Doodle painted
O it just made me wild. But somehow
or other, | began to get powerful sleepy
all at once, and [ couldn't keep my eyes
open. The next thing / knew Otis was
nudgin' me in the ribs. Get up JOEL
says he, it's Christmas, and Santa Claus
has been here
CHERRY Christmas F! Merry Christmas! ?
we cried, as We tumbled out O. bed. Then
Elvira and Thankful came in, not more'n
half dressed, and Susan came in, too, an
we just made Rome howl with Merry
Christmas to zach other. Eff you chill
dren don't make less noise in there cried
father, I'll hev to send you all back to
bed! The idea of askin' boys and girls
to keep quiet Christmas mornin' when
they've got new sleds and 'Garlands of
Friendship"
Santa Claus chuckled; his rosy cheeks
fairly heamed with joy.
"Otis and | didn't want any breakfast"
said Joel. "We made up our minds that
a stockin'full of candy an popcorn an
raisins would stay us for awhile. | do
believe there wasn't b~uckwheat cakes
enough in the township to keep US in
doors that mornin'; buckwheat cakes
don't size up much 'longside of a red sled
with Yankee Doodle painted onto it, and
a black sled named Snow Queen We
didn't care how cold it was-so much the
better for slidin' down hill! All the boys
had new sleds-Lafe Dawson, Holbrook
Bill, Gum Adamas, Rube Playfold,
Leander Merriek, Ezra Purple-all on
'em had new sleds excep' Martin Peavey,
and he said he calculated Santa Claus
had skipped him this year cause his
father had broke his leg haulin' logs
from the Pelham woods, and been KEEP
indoors six weeks. But Martin had his
old sled, and he didn't have to ask any
odds OF any of us, neither"